Experiencing jaw pain? Does your jaw click or pop when you are eating?While tiny, your jaw joint the TMJ is a vital part of your health. Any type of jaw pain can prevent healthy eating and chronic pain of any kind can begin to affect your quality of life.

Common causes of jaw pain:

Whiplash

Head or face injury

Teeth grinding and/or clenching

Stress – As a response to stress, it’s natural to hold the body tight, including the jaw.

Common Symptoms of TMJ Dysfunction:

Jaw, face or ear pain

Popping or clicking in the jaw

Difficulty in opening or closing your mouth

Headaches

If you suspect you have TMJ problems, you should first go see your dentist.

At-Home Tips You Can Use To Help Ease Tension and Pain

If you notice that your jaw hurts on the same side as you sleep this could be a major contributing factor. Try wedging a pillow under your back to prevent you from sleeping on that side.

Your jaw muscles work every day, and yet, are rarely treated to a soothing massage. Take a few minutes each day to massage your face. Gently use your fingers to massage, in small circular motions, along your cheek bone to the jaw angle looking for tender spots. If you feel tenderness that is a trigger point, press on the tender area for 15 seconds. You should start to feel the pain go away as you press. Continue to massage your cheeks, temples and forehead. It is best to repeat this daily to help the muscle stay relaxed.

Use an ice pack wrapped in a towel several times a day, for about 10-15 minutes each time. If you’re recovering from locked jaw, you may benefit from using heat packs. Once again, use for 10-15 minutes each time.

​Spend long periods of time with your jaw wide open. The extreme reversal from clenched to wide open helps to break the habit of clenching. You want your mouth to be wide open, but only as comfortable for you. Saying “ahhh” can help achieve this. Hold this for an hour, if you catch yourself with your teeth together, simply stretch your mouth open again.​

IMPORTANT : There can be many reasons for jaw pain symptoms labeled as TMJD and is often misdiagnosed. If your jaw pain does not improve with relaxation and TMJ massage, we strongly suggest that you get a second medical opinion. Jaw pain can be a sign of serious bacterial or fungal infection, or even Lyme disease. All can be very serious if left untreated.